Tourism History of the Lake District

In one way or another, the English Lake District became a popular tourist destination because of good advertising. Before the Lake District became known to tourists, its natural beauty was first enjoyed by the residents of the area. Residents engage in hiking trips and walking expeditions to witness the mountains and valleys that the district has to offer.

Then, the serene wonders of Lakeland became popular when Romantic Movement poets such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge started to incorporate beautiful descriptions of the area through their poems. People started to take interest in visiting Lake District after reading the masterpieces of these poets and the tourism scene in Lakeland has changed since.

To give a better picture of what the Lake District has to offer, Thomas West wrote a guide book about the Lake District in 1778. The book contained the tourist attractions and amenities during that time and it brought the area to the consciousness of travellers. Since then, the tourism industry of the district grew significantly that local authorities constructed station houses and viewpoints in the late 18th century to accommodate tourists that would like to witness the majestic views in the Lake District.

In 1810, the tourism industry in Lakeland became more widely known when William Wordsworth wrote his first Lake District guide. His guide became so popular that he was able to produce five volumes of which. In the early 19th century, the Lake District opened up to more tourists due to the railway links that linked to Windermere and Kendal. Since the district became more accessible, more hotels for accommodation were built and steamer boats were added to allow tourist to travel through the lake.

In the 1950s, the Lake District was granted national park status so that its natural beauty can be preserved. Also, the area became accessible to motorists thanks to the M6 that was built within the eastern portion of Lakeland. At present, about 14 million people visit the Lake District yearly making it the second largest tourist destination in Great Britain.

Tourists still ride the steamer boats that were first introduced centuries ago and they engage in activities such as hiking, mountain biking, angling, fishing and canoeing to name a few. The deepest lake in England can be found at Wasdale while the highest mountain is Scafell Pike which can be found at the Lake District.

Aside from the captivating images of the Lake District’s natural wonders, tourists also anticipate the art festivals that are conducted annually.

Since the district is rich in tradition when it comes to literature and the arts, tourists can catch plays at local theatres and they can even attend poetry session on the Romantic Movement greats. If not for the great Lake Poets, the tourism industry of the Lake District would not be raking in millions of pounds yearly.